2026 Women in Business Conference
Lead with Influence: For the Moments that Matter
Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Townsite Tower | Topeka, Kansas
Presented by
Your influence is already taking shape.
The question is how you will use it.
Leadership is not defined only by a title, a position or the number of people who report to you. It is reflected in how you communicate, the relationships you build, the decisions you make and the courage you bring to the moments that matter.
The 2026 Kansas Women in Business Conference, presented by Security Benefit, will bring together women from across Kansas for a day of honest conversations, practical leadership development and meaningful connection.
Whether you are leading an organization, growing a business, managing a team, advising decision-makers, or preparing for your next opportunity, you will leave with practical insight, renewed energy and a clearer sense of how you want to lead forward.
How women show up. How influence is built. How leadership moves forward.
Hosted by
Conference Information
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Wednesday, November 4, 2026
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM -
Townsite Tower
534 S. Kansas Ave
Topeka KS 66603
Registration
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All Access Member Price:
$150 Early Bird | $200 Regular
All Access Non-Member Price:
$200 Early Bird | $250 Regular - Early Bird pricing ends October 1.
- Registration includes breakfast, lunch, conference programming, attendee experiences and the closing reception.
- Room block is available at the Cyrus Hotel for $169 plus taxes and fees. The discounted rate expires October 6 or when the room block is full.
Welcome Message
From Keynote Speaker and Emcee Jeanne Sparrow
What You Will Experience
A full day designed to move leadership from inspiration to action.
Thought-provoking speakers
Hear from women whose leadership experiences offer practical lessons for communicating authentically, navigating disagreement, building trust, and making consequential decisions.
Practical leadership development
Move beyond broad encouragement and gain ideas you can apply to your work, relationships, and leadership immediately.
Honest conversations
Learn from women who have taken risks, faced resistance, advised senior leaders, recovered from setbacks, and acted before they felt completely ready.
Meaningful connections
Build relationships with women from different industries, communities, career stages and areas of expertise.
Time to reflect
Consider where you are being called to have greater influence and identify a clear next step for moving forward.
Who Should Attend?
Who Should Attend?
The Kansas Women in Business Conference is designed for women at every stage of leadership, including:
- Executives and senior leaders
- Emerging and mid-career professionals
- Entrepreneurs and business owners
- Managers and team leaders
- Community and nonprofit leaders
- Women preparing for their next professional opportunity
- Organizations committed to developing and retaining women leaders
You do not need a particular title to belong in the room. You need only a willingness to learn, connect and lead with greater intention.
Featured Speakers
Jeanne Sparrow
Lead with Fearless Authenticity
Influence begins with how we choose to show up. Jeanne Sparrow will invite attendees to lead from a place of authenticity, courage and self-awareness—trusting their own voices rather than measuring themselves against someone else’s expectations of leadership.
Audra Dinell
Lead with Connection
Through a guided reflection, Audra will invite attendees to consider the relationships that have shaped their leadership and the role trust, generosity and intentional connection play in creating meaningful influence.
Katie Patterson
Lead with Conviction
Meaningful progress rarely begins with complete agreement. Katie Patterson will share practical lessons for navigating resistance, communicating with purpose, building support and moving important work forward.
Kristen O’Shea
Lead with Strength
Leadership is strongest when it is grounded in an honest understanding of who we are and what we naturally bring to the table. Kristen O’Shea will help attendees recognize how their strengths influence the way they communicate, solve problems, build relationships, and lead others.
Dr. Katie Ervin
Lead with Clarity
Clarity turns inspiration into action. Dr. Katie Ervin will bring together the ideas and lessons of the day and challenge attendees to identify how they want to lead differently—and what they are prepared to do next.
Agenda
The moments that shape leadership do not always arrive with advance notice.
They happen when you are asked to make the decision, enter the conversation, advocate for an idea, take the risk or speak when your voice is needed.
Join women from across Kansas for a day designed to help you meet those moments with greater confidence, clarity and influence.
8:00 a.m.
Registration and Breakfast
Check in, enjoy breakfast, and begin connecting with women from across Kansas.
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Amy Billquist, Kansas Chamber
Eric Stafford, Kansas Chamber
Cherie Huffman, Security Benefit
9:00 a.m.
Jeanne Sparrow
Opening Keynote: Jeanne Sparrow
Lead with Fearless Authenticity
Influence begins with how we choose to show up. Jeanne Sparrow will invite attendees to lead from a place of authenticity, courage and self-awareness, trusting their own voices rather than measuring themselves against someone else’s expectations of leadership.
Takeaway: Learn how to trust your voice, communicate with greater authenticity and show up courageously in the moments that matter.
9:50 a.m.
Audra Dinell
Guided Reflection: Audra Dinell, The Thread
Lead with Connection
Influence is rarely built alone. Through a guided reflection, Audra Dinell will invite attendees to consider the relationships that have shaped their leadership and the role trust, generosity, and intentional connection play in creating meaningful influence.
Takeaway: Identify the relationships that strengthen your leadership and one connection you can invest in more intentionally.
10:20 a.m.
Connection Break
Continue the conversation, meet fellow attendees, and explore the conference experiences.
10:50 a.m.
Katie Patterson
Keynote: Katie Patterson, HB Strategies
Lead with Conviction
Meaningful progress rarely begins with complete agreement. Drawing from her experience negotiating complex issues and building support among people with different priorities, Katie Patterson will share practical lessons for navigating resistance, communicating with purpose, and moving important work forward.
Takeaway: Learn practical strategies for navigating difficult conversations, building support, and remaining grounded in what matters when agreement does not come easily.
11:40 a.m.
Influence in Action Lunch
Sponsored by Property Tax Law Group
Continue the conversation with women at your table and consider:
Where are you being called to have greater influence, and what is one step you can take?
Panel: The View from the Right Hand
Lead with Perspective
Some of the most influential leaders are not always the most visible.
In this candid conversation, women serving in chief of staff roles will share what it takes to advise senior leaders, navigate competing priorities, and help guide consequential decisions from behind the scenes.
They will discuss managing sensitive relationships, anticipating what is ahead and balancing loyalty, candor, and sound judgment while helping their organizations move through complexity and change.
Takeaway: Learn how to see beyond your immediate responsibilities, influence without always holding formal authority and become a more trusted strategic advisor.
Moderator:
Christie Kriegshauser, Kansas Chamber
Panelists:
Jacklynn Walters, Office of the Kansas Senate President
Carrie Rahfaldt, Office of the Kansas House Speaker
1:15 p.m.
Kristen O’Shea
Interactive Session: Kristen O’Shea, O’Shea Strengths Coaching
Lead with Strength
Leadership is strongest when it is grounded in an honest understanding of who we are and what we naturally bring to the table.
In this interactive session, Kristen O’Shea will help attendees recognize how their strengths influence the way they communicate, solve problems, build relationships and lead others.
Takeaway: Identify the strengths you bring to leadership and leave with practical ways to use them more intentionally in how you communicate, collaborate and lead.
2:00 p.m.
Leading Forward Break
Reconnect, reflect, and explore the conference experiences.
Panel: Confidence in Motion
Lead with Confidence
Confidence is rarely something women have before taking the first step. More often, it is built by making the decision, asking for the opportunity, taking the risk, and continuing forward through uncertainty.
In this candid conversation, women from different industries and stages of leadership will share how they learned to advocate for their value, trust their judgment, recover from setbacks and act before they felt completely ready.
Takeaway: Gain practical strategies for advocating for yourself, making bold decisions and building confidence through action—not waiting until uncertainty disappears.
Moderator:
Audra Dinell, The Thread
Panelists:
Lisa Flanary, Security Benefit
Kelsey Wiens, Kewi Creative
Lisa Hambelton, Dealer Principal at Mel Hambelton Ford
3:00 p.m.
Dr. Katie Ervin
Closing Keynote: Dr. Katie Ervin, Catalyst Development
Lead with Clarity
Clarity turns inspiration into action.
Dr. Katie Ervin will bring together the ideas, stories, and lessons of the day and help attendees consider what they want to carry forward, what they are ready to release and how they want to lead differently.
Through an energizing close, she will challenge each woman to turn reflection into a clear and meaningful next step.
Takeaway: Leave with renewed energy, a clearer understanding of the leader you want to be, and one specific commitment for putting your influence into action.
3:45 p.m.
Wrap-Up
4:00–5:30 p.m.
Leading Forward Reception
End the day by continuing the conversations and relationships that began throughout the conference.
Jeanne Sparrow
Lead with Fearless Authenticity
Influence begins with how we choose to show up. Jeanne Sparrow will invite attendees to lead from a place of authenticity, courage and self-awareness—trusting their own voices rather than measuring themselves against someone else’s expectations of leadership.
Audra Dinell
Lead with Connection
Through a guided reflection, Audra will invite attendees to consider the relationships that have shaped their leadership and the role trust, generosity and intentional connection play in creating meaningful influence.
Amy Billquist
Vice President of Communications and Events, Kansas Chamber of Commerce
Amy Billquist has collaborated with the Kansas Chamber since 2018 on a wide range of initiatives including the Kansas Manufacturing Council, Leadership Kansas, Kansas Emerging Leaders, and several of the Chamber’s signature events.
Lisa Flanary
Senior Vice President, Chief Growth Officer
With more than 25 years of experience, Lisa Flanary is Senior Vice President and Chief Growth Officer at Security Benefit where she leads the company’s integrated growth strategy and execution across the enterprise.
Eric Stafford
Vice President of Government Affairs, Kansas Chamber
Eric Stafford joined the Kansas Chamber in January 2011 as Senior Director of Government Affairs and was promoted to Vice President of Government Affairs in May 2014.
Cherie Huffman
Chief Compliance Officer and Head of Asset Services, Security Benefit
Cherie Huffman is the Chief Compliance Officer and Head of Asset Services at Security Benefit Life Insurance Company where she leads a multidisciplinary team.
Kelsey Wiens
Kewi Creative
Kelsey Wiens is the owner of Kewi Creative LLC, a graphic design company specializing in business, policy, and marketing collateral.
Carrie Rahfaldt
Office of the Kansas House Speaker
Carrie’s diverse professional career began with a degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Arkansas and experience as an on-air reporter.
Katie Patterson
Lead with Conviction
Meaningful progress rarely begins with complete agreement. Katie Patterson will share practical lessons for navigating resistance, communicating with purpose, building support and moving important work forward.
Kristen O’Shea
Lead with Strength
Leadership is strongest when it is grounded in an honest understanding of who we are and what we naturally bring to the table. Kristen O’Shea will help attendees recognize how their strengths influence the way they communicate, solve problems, build relationships, and lead others.
Christie Kriegshauser
Vice President of Political Affairs for the Kansas Chamber of Commerce
Christie Kriegshauser serves as Vice President of Political Affairs for the Kansas Chamber of Commerce. She assists with implementing the Chamber’s statewide political strategy, focusing on the recruitment, training, and campaigning of qualified political candidates and other Chamber efforts associated with political affairs.
Dr. Katie Ervin
Lead with Clarity
Clarity turns inspiration into action. Dr. Katie Ervin will bring together the ideas and lessons of the day and challenge attendees to identify how they want to lead differently—and what they are prepared to do next.
Experience More Than a Day of Speakers
The Kansas Women in Business Conference is designed to create opportunities for attendees to learn, participate, reflect and connect.
Throughout the day, attendees will be invited to experience the following:
Voices of Influence
Leadership does not follow one path.
The Voices of Influence spotlight series will feature brief stories from Kansas women whose experiences demonstrate the many ways influence is built and used.
Each spotlight will offer a personal perspective on the decisions, relationships, challenges or defining moments that have shaped how that woman leads.
Featured voices: Shirley Martin-Smith, Adecco; Amy Kincade, Stormont Vail Health; Meeghan Hansen, BG Products, Inc.; and Sunee Mickle, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas.
Attendee Experiences
Connect with resources and experiences designed to help attendees feel welcomed, supported, and engaged throughout the day.
Experiences may include wellness resources, professional services, interactive activities, giveaways and other opportunities provided by conference partners.
Kendra Gives Back
Shop with purpose during the conference through a special Kendra Gives Back experience.
Twenty percent of qualifying Kendra Scott purchases made during the event will benefit the Kansas Chamber Education Foundation and its work to develop and connect leaders through Leadership Kansas.
Connection Built into the Day
Networking should not require working the room with a rehearsed introduction.
The conference agenda includes table conversations, guided reflection, breaks and a closing reception intentionally designed to help attendees build genuine professional relationships.
Come prepared to meet someone new, reconnect with someone you know, and invest in the relationships that will strengthen your leadership.
Sponsors
The Kansas Women in Business Conference is made possible through the support of organizations committed to developing women leaders, strengthening the Kansas workforce, and helping women build meaningful professional connections.
Presenting Sponsor (Exclusive)
Influence in Action Lunch Sponsor (Exclusive)
Leadership Spotlight Sponsor (Exclusive)
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
- BG Products
- Black Hills Energy
- Beale Infrastructure
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Kansas Employers for
Affordable Healthcare - Kansas Gas Service
- Intersect
- Polsinelli
Exclusive Sponsorship Opportunities
$7,500
Leadership Spotlight Sponsor *Sold
$5,000
Lunch Sponsor
*Sold
$2,500
Leading Forward Reception Sponsor
Sponsorship Levels
Optional Add-On Opportunity
Interested in Supporting the Conference?
Align your organization with one of Kansas’ leading professional-development and networking experiences for women.
Sponsorship opportunities provide meaningful recognition, attendee registrations, and opportunities to connect your organization with women leaders from across the state.
Questions?
Contact Events@kansaschamber.org.
Registration
Don’t miss this powerful day of growth, insight, and connection. Mark your calendar and get ready to step into your power at the 2026 Women in Business Conference!
Cancellation policy
We understand plans can change. Refund requests are available up to 15 days before the event by contacting events@kansaschamber.org.
Cancellations made within 14 days of the event may be transferred to another individual. No refunds will be issued during this period due to financial commitments made to the venue and event partners.
